Hooper Renwick Legacy Preservation Committee

HOOPER RENWICK LEGACY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MINUTES Tuesday, October 18, 2022 Third Floor GwMA Conference Room 6:00 PM 70 S. Clayton St, GA 30046 Call to Order Committee Member Brown called the meeting to order at 6:05 PM at the request of Chairwoman Bailey who had been delayed in her arrival. 1. Prayer – Pastor, Dr. Ronald Dunnigan, Committee Member Committee Member Dr. Daniel led the prayer due to Committee Member Pastor, Dr. Ronald Dunnigan was unable to attend the meeting. 2. Quorum/Roll Call – Ms. Joyce Moore, Co-Chair Roll Call was taken by Committee Member Brown and there was not a quorum. Quorum was made at 6:12 pm when other Committee Members arrived. PRESENT Committee Member Theresa Bailey Committee Member Constance Brown Committee Member Deidra Williams Committee Member Gary Glenn Committee Member Greg Lott Committee Member John Maxey Committee Member Joyce Moore Committee Member Gwendolyn Brown Taylor Committee Member Vivian Summerour Daniel  ABSENT Committee Member Ronald Dunnigan Committee Member Rory Johnson Committee Member Rubye Neal Also in attendance: Brian Boggs, Gwinnett County Jason DiFranco, Gwinnett County Library Foundation Paula Foil, City of Lawrenceville Cammie Mansfield, Gwinnett County Council Member Victoria Jones, City of Lawrenceville Mark LeBlanc, Gwinnett County Mayor Pro-Temp Glenn Martin, City of Lawrenceville Kyle Parker, City of Lawrenceville Council Member Marlene Taylor-Crawford, City of Lawrenceville Chuck Warbington, City of Lawrenceville Maxey Family Members: Theresa, Joy, and Will 3. Norms – Dr. Vivian Summerour Daniel, Committee Member Committee Member Dr. Daniel reviewed the Norms with the Committee. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes 4. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes for September 20, 2022 Motion made by Committee Member Brown, Seconded by Committee Member Glenn to approve the Hooper-Renwick Legacy Preservation Committee Meeting Minutes for September 20, 2022. Voting Yea: Committee Member Bailey, Committee Member Brown, Committee Member Williams, Committee Member Glenn, Committee Member Lott, Committee Member Maxey, Committee Member Moore, Committee Member Brown Taylor, Committee Member Summerour Daniel Old Business 5. Project Status Update – Mr. Marc LeBlanc, Project Manager In response to Committee members who inquired about their guests who had not received their invites to the Groundbreaking, Marc directed them to share their flyers with their guests.  The building design is in Planning & Development. The concept design details are being finalized. The site permit will hopefully be approved by the end of October. The construction permit will hopefully be approved by the end of November or early December. 5. Project Status Update - Ms. Cammie Mansfield, IRPC Exhibit designers are finalizing their plans. This process will take approximately four to five months. Oral History Update - We have 38 recordings, 18 that New South recorded and 20 that Gwinnett County recorded. Gwinnett County will continue to make these recordings. We have approximately 1,226 minutes of recordings to date. Artifacts Update - We have 96 items processed and in storage. We have recently received 103 new artifacts and most of those are images. 7. Comments – Mr. Chuck Warbington, City Manager So excited that we are at the point of a Groundbreaking! This has been a four-to-five-year process. Next week is a very special time! New Business 8. Other Comments or Updates Committee Member Williams noted that the Maxey family was present at the meeting. (Theresa, Joyce, and Will Maxey, Jr.) Mr. Will Maxey, Jr. mentioned to the Committee all of the things their father, Willie Frank Maxey had done for the youth in the area. He drove the school bus for over 30 years and never missed a day, loved all of the kids, drove food to the kids at school because there was no cafeteria, drove the school bus with a broken leg, drove the football and basketball teams to their games, started a women's softball team, started a men's softball team, and provided the equipment for both of the softball teams. Committee Member Lott shared that all of the parents trusted Mr. Willie Frank. He also thanked everyone for their work on the Hooper-Renwick project, especially his fellow  Committee members and thanked City staff as well. He suggested having a plaque at the Hooper-Renwick Themed Library that would list the members of the Committee. Committee Member Dr. Maxey said he has been involved in many projects, but this one from the beginning started with passion. He encouraged everyone to not lose the experience of the journey. Committee Member Taylor said she is inspired by this project. Committee Member Williams recommended that an oral history be recorded of the Girls Club that was started in the Hooper-Renwick building after the school closed. It could be done with a small group of those who were members of the club. The Hooper-Renwick building was a safe haven, and the Girls Club was a wonderful summer program. Mr. Chuck Warbington shared that the Hooper-Renwick Themed Library will be a shining light. It will draw people from around the world. Some of the ways we have gotten here is we respected each other, compromised, and had the tough conversations. Committee Member Brown said the Committee did not do this on their own. The Lord brought this team together. The people of the Hooper-Renwick need to be honored - we respect them dearly. Council Member Victoria Jones gave her congratulations to the Committee on this monumental moment. She commended them for working together to make this happen. She reminded them that this is their legacy and their work is for the communities everyone represents. 9. Chairwoman Updates Chairwoman Bailey advised that there will be a special photo opportunity for the Committee after the Groundbreaking. The Committee will meet on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, but the December meeting is cancelled. In 2023 we will only have meetings quarterly, with the first meeting being held on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. The Gwinnett Public Library Foundation Gala was amazing. During her speech, Congresswoman Bordeaux mentioned the Hooper-Renwick Themed Library and the bill she sponsored and was approved that contains funds for the Library. She noted how this project has touched the world, especially the southeast.  Chairwoman Bailey thanked Committee Member Rubye Neal, in her absence, for her contributions and recognized her as a great historian of African American History particularly in Gwinnett County. She further thanked Committee Member Lott for his vision, the petitions, and the ledger. Committee Member Lott mentioned that Committee Member Neal gave him the idea. Chairwoman Bailey thanked everyone for the artifacts they have donated or loaned. She encouraged everyone to go back to the beginnings of the effort to save Hooper- Renwick. Review the business plan summary and see the hard work we put into it. Compare the contents with that of the Resolution with the City of Lawrenceville and the IGA with the County. See how much of our vision is coming to fruition. Chairwoman Bailey asked that all the attendees be sure to shake hands with each other to congratulate ourselves for our achievements. Final Adjournment 10. Closing Prayer – Pastor/Dr. Ronald Dunnigan, Committee Member 11. Closing Remarks – Chairwoman Theresa Bailey 12. Final Adjournment – Chairwoman Theresa Bailey Paula Foil, City of Lawrenceville noted that the vote to adjourn the September 20, 2022 meeting never occurred. Motion to adjourn the September 20, 2022 meeting of the Hooper-Renwick Legacy Preservation Committee was made by Committee Member Moore, Seconded by Committee Member Maxey. Voting Yea: Committee Member Bailey, Committee Member Brown, Committee Member Williams, Committee Member Glenn, Committee Member Lott, Committee Member Maxey, Committee Member Moore, Committee Member Brown Taylor, Committee Member Summerour Daniel Motion to adjourn the October 18, 2022 meeting of the Hooper-Renwick Legacy Preservation Committee was made by Committee Member Moore, Seconded by Committee Member Maxey. Voting Yea: Committee Member Bailey, Committee Member Brown, Committee Member Williams, Committee Member Glenn, Committee Member Lott, Committee Member Maxey,  Committee Member Moore, Committee Member Brown Taylor, Committee Member Summerour Daniel. Minutes Signature ___________________ Theresa Bailey, Chairman ___________________ Joyce Moore, Co-Chair